General Services Administration
Encyclopedia
The General Services Administration (GSA) is an independent agency of the United States government
, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal employees, and develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies, and other management tasks.
was asked in 1947 by President Harry Truman to lead a commission to make recommendations to the President and Congress on how to improve the administrative activities of the federal government. One of the recommendations of the commission was the establishment of an "Office of the General Services." This proposed office would combine the responsibilities of the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Federal Supply and Office of Contract Settlement, the National Archives and Records Administration
Establishment, the Federal Work Agency, and the War Assets Administration
. GSA became an independent agency on July 1, 1949, following the passage of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
. General Jess Larson, Administrator of the War Assets Administration, was named as GSA's first Administrator.
The first job awaiting Administrator Larson and the newly formed GSA was a complete renovation of the White House
. The structure had fallen into such a state of disrepair by 1949 that one inspector of the time said the historic structure was standing “purely from habit.” Larson later explained the in depth nature of the total renovation by saying, “In order to make the White House structurally sound, it was necessary to completely dismantle, and I mean completely dismantle, everything from the White House except the four walls, which were constructed of stone. Everything, except the four walls without a roof, was finally stripped down, and that's where the work started.” GSA worked closely with President Truman and First Lady Bess Truman to ensure that the new agency's first major project was a success. GSA completed the renovation in 1952. Its headquarters, located at Eighteenth and F Sts. NW, is in the historic U.S. General Services Administration Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1986 as Interior Department Offices.
in Washington, DC, the largest U.S. Federal building after The Pentagon
and the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center which had previously been the Battle Creek Sanitarium
run by John Harvey Kellogg
.
GSA's business lines include the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Public Buildings Service (PBS). Other divisions include the Office of Governmentwide Policy, and various Staff Offices, including the Office of Small Business Utilization, the Office of Civil Rights, and the Office of Citizen Services and Communications. The official U.S. government web portal, USA.gov
, and the Spanish-language web portal to U.S. government services, GobiernoUSA.gov
, are members of the Office of Citizen Services and Communication’s family of websites, which also includes pueblo.gsa.gov (the Federal Citizen Information Center
), Kids.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and WebContent.gov.
The National Archives and Records Administration
was also part of GSA until it was made an independent agency in 1985.
GSA recently completed early-outs and buy-outs to reduce staff. It reorganized in 2005 to merge the Federal Supply Service (FSS) and Federal Technology Service (FTS) business lines into the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). Bush Administration political appointee Stephen A. Perry resigned as GSA Administrator on October 31, 2005. On May 31, 2006, Lurita Doan
, also a Bush Administration political appointee, took the oath of office to become the 18th GSA Administrator and the first woman to hold the position. Lurita Doan
resigned from office on April 29, 2008. David Bibb
was acting administrator from April 30, 2008 until September 1, 2008.
On June 25, 2008, the White House announced that Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner James A. Williams was nominated to be GSA's administrator, replacing Lurita Doan. Williams served as the first commissioner of FAS after the agency combined the Federal Technology Service and the Federal Supply Service. Williams is a career SES member, rather than a political appointee. The announcement came on the same day that acting administrator David Bibb announced that he planned to retire on September 1, 2008 to pursue work in the private sector.
On April 3, 2009, President Barack Obama
nominated Martha N. Johnson
to serve as Administrator. After a lengthy delay, the United States Senate
confirmed her nomination on February 4, 2010.
that, when breached, constitutes additional discounting that triggers the Price Reduction Clause.
Effective Price Reduction Clause compliance procedures will protect vendors if their discounting practices are fully and accurately disclosed in their original proposals to GSA and then are used as a basis for compliance over the term of the contract.
Although not ideal, a compliance system implemented after a contract has been awarded can bring a contract into compliance, although sometimes at the expense of profits. If implementing a system in the middle of a contract period, inaccuracies that turn up should be corrected immediately, and the GSA contracting officer should be made aware of them.
Price Reduction Clause compliance systems and procedures can range from the simple to the complex. A simple, manual system would be appropriate for a service contractor with standard labor rates that are not discounted. A complex system would be required for a reseller
with thousands of products and discounting policies that differ among product groups.
, Chicago
, Denver, Ft. Worth, Kansas City, Missouri
, New York City
, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle (Auburn), and Washington, D.C.
agency, GSA:
GSA complies with Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.
PBS is funded primarily through the Federal Buildings Fund, which is supported by rent from federal customer agencies.
GSA has earned a LEED
rating for 24 buildings.
Some of green offerings at new buildings includes green roof
s (planted roofs that can substantially reduce rainwater run-off during storms and provide significant insulation for the buildings), underfloor air distribution
(that delivers cooling and heating air at floor level instead of from the ceiling), purchasing and using renewable power from utility companies and light shelves (located outside of the building that reduce the amount of heat radiating into the building from the sun while increasing the amount of natural light and high ceilings that help direct daylight deep into the work environment).
The Department of Energy's
Federal Energy Management Program
facilitates to the GSA the implementation, through project transaction services, applied technology services and decision support services, to deploy renewable energy technologies and cultivate change to embrace energy efficiency.
In 2004 the GSA was presented with the Honor Award
from the National Building Museum
for "success in creating and maintaining innovative environments for the federal community as well as providing a positive federal presence for the public."
has made available not less than $4.5 billion for measures necessary to convert GSA facilities to High-Performance Green Buildings, as defined in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
(Public Law 110-140).
.
GSA contributes to the management of U.S. Federal property, including a 210,000 vehicle motor pool.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
included $300 million to acquire energy-efficient motor vehicles for the federal vehicle fleet.
President Barack Obama
announced that GSA will buy about 17,600 new, fuel-efficient vehicles from U.S. auto companies by June 1, 2009. The purchase will draw on funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be on an accelerated schedule to help support U.S. automakers. The GSA will spend $285 million to purchase the vehicles from General Motors Corporation, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor Company
. The purchase will include 2,500 hybrid sedans
—the largest one-time purchase yet of hybrid vehicles for the federal government—and each new vehicle will yield at least a 10% fuel economy improvement over the vehicle it replaces. The GSA will also spend $15 million by the end of September to purchase a pilot fleet of advanced-technology vehicles, including all-electric vehicles and hybrid buses
.
Hybrids accounted for about 10 percent of the 145,473 vehicles the U.S. General Services Administration bought during the fiscal years 2009 and 2010, after making up less than 1 percent of government vehicle purchases in 2008. As for specific models, Obama took a buy-American stance. The administration accounted for about two-thirds of the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrids sold during the past two years, and almost a third of the Ford Fusion Hybrid
s. By comparison, the administration acquired 17 Toyota Prius
hybrids and five Honda Civic Hybrid
vehicles in total. Ground Force One
, so designated when transporting the POTUS, is one of two armored buses procured in 2010 for the transportation of dignitaries under protection of the Secret Service
, at a cost of $1.1 million each. The coaches were assembled in Tennessee on frames made in Canada.
IRMCO 2011 features "50 Years of Performance Leadership" and is held in Washington, D.C. at the Kellogg Conference Center & Hotel on the campus of Gallaudet University. IRMCO 2011 will have a tripartite focus:
IRMCO began in 1961 as the ADPCO conference. In 1979, the Department of Commerce, GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) jointly sponsored a conference for Senior Executive Service (SES) officials at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At the same time, the National Archives hosted a small records management conference for senior executives, also located in Gettysburg. These two conferences merged with ADPCO and became IRMCO. Over the years, the conference has evolved its focus from highly specialized to integrated. In 1996, when U.S. Congress mandated the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO), these new federal executives were invited to attend IRMCO.
In recent years, roughly 75% of IRMCO attendees were GS-15s or members of the Senior Executive Service. From 2008 to 2010, IRMCO drew attendees from over 65 Federal agencies, and diverse disciplines including information technology, human resources, acquisition, management and finance.
Independent agencies of the United States government
Independent agencies of the United States federal government are those agencies that exist outside of the federal executive departments...
, established in 1949 to help manage and support the basic functioning of federal agencies. The GSA supplies products and communications for U.S. government offices, provides transportation and office space to federal employees, and develops government-wide cost-minimizing policies, and other management tasks.
History
Former President Herbert HooverHerbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover was the 31st President of the United States . Hoover was originally a professional mining engineer and author. As the United States Secretary of Commerce in the 1920s under Presidents Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge, he promoted partnerships between government and business...
was asked in 1947 by President Harry Truman to lead a commission to make recommendations to the President and Congress on how to improve the administrative activities of the federal government. One of the recommendations of the commission was the establishment of an "Office of the General Services." This proposed office would combine the responsibilities of the U.S. Treasury Department's Bureau of Federal Supply and Office of Contract Settlement, the National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
Establishment, the Federal Work Agency, and the War Assets Administration
War Assets Administration
The War Assets Administration was established in the Office for Emergency Management, effective March 25, 1946, by EO 9689, January 31, 1946. American factorieshad produced massive amounts of weaponry during the World War II...
. GSA became an independent agency on July 1, 1949, following the passage of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act
Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949
The Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 is a United States federal law that established the General Services Administration . The act also provides for various Federal Standards to be published by the GSA...
. General Jess Larson, Administrator of the War Assets Administration, was named as GSA's first Administrator.
The first job awaiting Administrator Larson and the newly formed GSA was a complete renovation of the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
. The structure had fallen into such a state of disrepair by 1949 that one inspector of the time said the historic structure was standing “purely from habit.” Larson later explained the in depth nature of the total renovation by saying, “In order to make the White House structurally sound, it was necessary to completely dismantle, and I mean completely dismantle, everything from the White House except the four walls, which were constructed of stone. Everything, except the four walls without a roof, was finally stripped down, and that's where the work started.” GSA worked closely with President Truman and First Lady Bess Truman to ensure that the new agency's first major project was a success. GSA completed the renovation in 1952. Its headquarters, located at Eighteenth and F Sts. NW, is in the historic U.S. General Services Administration Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1986 as Interior Department Offices.
GSA today
GSA employs about 12,000 federal workers and has an annual operating budget of roughly $26.3 billion, approximately 1% of which is appropriated from taxpayer dollars. GSA oversees $66 billion of procurement annually. It contributes to the management of about $500 billion in U.S. federal property, divided chiefly among 8,300 owned and leased buildings and a 210,000 vehicle motor pool. Among the real estate assets managed by the GSA are the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade CenterRonald Reagan Building
The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, named after former United States President Ronald Reagan, is the first federal building in Washington, D.C. designed for both governmental and private sector purposes....
in Washington, DC, the largest U.S. Federal building after The Pentagon
The Pentagon
The Pentagon is the headquarters of the United States Department of Defense, located in Arlington County, Virginia. As a symbol of the U.S. military, "the Pentagon" is often used metonymically to refer to the Department of Defense rather than the building itself.Designed by the American architect...
and the Hart-Dole-Inouye Federal Center which had previously been the Battle Creek Sanitarium
Battle Creek Sanitarium
The Battle Creek Sanitarium, in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States, first opened on September 5, 1866, as the Western Health Reform Institute, based on the health principles advocated by the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 1876, John Harvey Kellogg became the superintendent, and his brother, W....
run by John Harvey Kellogg
John Harvey Kellogg
John Harvey Kellogg was an American medical doctor in Battle Creek, Michigan, who ran a sanitarium using holistic methods, with a particular focus on nutrition, enemas and exercise. Kellogg was an advocate of vegetarianism and is best known for the invention of the corn flakes breakfast cereal...
.
GSA's business lines include the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS) and the Public Buildings Service (PBS). Other divisions include the Office of Governmentwide Policy, and various Staff Offices, including the Office of Small Business Utilization, the Office of Civil Rights, and the Office of Citizen Services and Communications. The official U.S. government web portal, USA.gov
USA.gov
USA.gov is the official web portal of the United States government. It is designed to improve the public’s interaction with the U.S. government by quickly directing website visitors to the services or information they are seeking, and by inviting the public to share ideas to improve government...
, and the Spanish-language web portal to U.S. government services, GobiernoUSA.gov
GobiernoUSA.gov
' is the official web portal of the United States Government in Spanish. It is the sister site of USA.gov, the official web portal of the U.S. Government in English. "Gobierno" is Spanish for "government."...
, are members of the Office of Citizen Services and Communication’s family of websites, which also includes pueblo.gsa.gov (the Federal Citizen Information Center
Federal Citizen Information Center
The Federal Citizen Information Center , originally the Federal Consumer Information Center, is a department in the United States government's General Services Administration...
), Kids.gov, ConsumerAction.gov, and WebContent.gov.
The National Archives and Records Administration
National Archives and Records Administration
The National Archives and Records Administration is an independent agency of the United States government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records and with increasing public access to those documents, which comprise the National Archives...
was also part of GSA until it was made an independent agency in 1985.
GSA recently completed early-outs and buy-outs to reduce staff. It reorganized in 2005 to merge the Federal Supply Service (FSS) and Federal Technology Service (FTS) business lines into the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS). Bush Administration political appointee Stephen A. Perry resigned as GSA Administrator on October 31, 2005. On May 31, 2006, Lurita Doan
Lurita Doan
Lurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
, also a Bush Administration political appointee, took the oath of office to become the 18th GSA Administrator and the first woman to hold the position. Lurita Doan
Lurita Doan
Lurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
resigned from office on April 29, 2008. David Bibb
David Bibb
David L. Bibb is an American civil servant. He served as the Deputy Administrator of the General Services Administration , an independent agency of the United States government and Acting Administrator...
was acting administrator from April 30, 2008 until September 1, 2008.
On June 25, 2008, the White House announced that Federal Acquisition Service Commissioner James A. Williams was nominated to be GSA's administrator, replacing Lurita Doan. Williams served as the first commissioner of FAS after the agency combined the Federal Technology Service and the Federal Supply Service. Williams is a career SES member, rather than a political appointee. The announcement came on the same day that acting administrator David Bibb announced that he planned to retire on September 1, 2008 to pursue work in the private sector.
On April 3, 2009, President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
nominated Martha N. Johnson
Martha N. Johnson
Martha N. Johnson is a former official in the administration of President Bill Clinton who currently leads the U.S. General Services Administration as the Administrator of General Services.- Early life and education :...
to serve as Administrator. After a lengthy delay, the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed her nomination on February 4, 2010.
GSA Schedule
GSA assists with procurement work for other government agencies. As part of this effort, it maintains the large GSA Schedule, which other agencies can use to buy goods and services. The GSA Schedule can be thought of as a collection of pre-negotiated contracts. Procurement managers from government agencies can view these agreements and make purchases from the GSA Schedule knowing that all legal obligations have been taken care of by GSA.Core Concepts that Govern the Operation of a GSA Schedule
The GSA Schedule is awarded as a prime contract entered into by the federal government and a vendor that has submitted an acceptable proposal. At the core of the GSA Schedule contract lie two key concepts: 1) Basis of Award customer or group of customers and 2) Price Reduction Clause. The two concepts are applied in concert to achieve the government's pricing objectives for the GSA Schedule program. Namely, the government wants to ensure that when the vendor experiences competitive pressures to reduce its pricing, then the government can benefit from these and be extended reduced pricing as well.Basis of Award
The Basis of Award customer or group of customers represents the customer or group of customers whose sales are effected on the same terms and conditions as those with GSA, and whose pricing is used: 1) as the baseline during negotiations to establish discounts offered to GSA, and 2) as a price floorPrice floor
A price floor is a government- or group-imposed limit on how low a price can be charged for a product. For a price floor to be effective, it must be greater than the equilibrium price.-Effectiveness of price floors:...
that, when breached, constitutes additional discounting that triggers the Price Reduction Clause.
Price Reduction Clause
The Price Reduction Clause ensures that vendor discounting practices and GSA Schedule prices maintain a fixed relationship. The vendor specifies in its GSA proposal, and during negotiations of GSA Schedule contract prices, the discounts to be given to Basis of Award customer(s). If the vendor then provides a larger discount to a Basis of Award customer than what was agreed upon in the GSA Schedule contract (i.e., if the price floor is breached), then the vendor's GSA price will be reduced proportionately and retroactively.Price Reduction Clause Compliance
Effective Price Reduction Clause compliance procedures will protect vendors if their discounting practices are fully and accurately disclosed in their original proposals to GSA and then are used as a basis for compliance over the term of the contract.
Although not ideal, a compliance system implemented after a contract has been awarded can bring a contract into compliance, although sometimes at the expense of profits. If implementing a system in the middle of a contract period, inaccuracies that turn up should be corrected immediately, and the GSA contracting officer should be made aware of them.
Price Reduction Clause compliance systems and procedures can range from the simple to the complex. A simple, manual system would be appropriate for a service contractor with standard labor rates that are not discounted. A complex system would be required for a reseller
Reseller
A reseller is a company or individual that purchases goods or services with the intention of reselling them rather than consuming or using them. This is usually done for profit...
with thousands of products and discounting policies that differ among product groups.
Regions
GSA conducts its business activities through 11 offices (known as GSA Regions) throughout the United States, located in: Atlanta, BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Denver, Ft. Worth, Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle (Auburn), and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
| Region # | Region Name | Complex | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New England | Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building Thomas P. O'Neill Jr. Federal Building The Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill Federal Building is an administrative center of the U.S. federal government in Boston, Massachusetts. Named for former Massachusetts congressman and House of Representatives Speaker Tip O'Neill, the building houses the New England regional offices of numerous federal... |
Boston, MA |
| 2 | Northeast and Caribbean | Jacob K. Javits Federal Building Jacob K. Javits Federal Building Jacob K. Javits Federal Office Building at 26 Federal Plaza in the Civic Center, Manhattan, New York City is a forty-plus story structure which houses many federal government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigation New York City field office... |
New York, NY |
| 3 | Mid-Atlantic | The Strawbridge Building | Philadelphia, PA |
| 4 | Southeast Sunbelt | 77 Forsyth Street | Atlanta, GA |
| 5 | Great Lakes | Kluczynski Federal Building Kluczynski Federal Building The Kluczynski Federal Building is a modernist skyscraper in the downtown Chicago Loop located at 230 South Dearborn Street. The 45-story structure was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1974 as the last portion of the new Federal Center. It is tall and stands on the site... |
Chicago, IL |
| 6 | Heartland | Bannister Federal Complex Bannister Federal Complex The Bannister Federal Complex is a United States Federal Government complex located at 1500 E. Bannister Road in Kansas City, Missouri. The complex consists of 10 buildings located at the corner of Troost Avenue and Bannister Road... |
Kansas City, MO |
| 7 | Greater Southwest | Fritz G. Lanham Federal Building | Fort Worth, TX |
| 8 | Rocky Mountain | Denver Federal Center Denver Federal Center Denver Federal Center is located in Lakewood, Colorado and is the home to about 6,200 employees for many Federal government of the United States agencies. The Denver Federal Center encompasses an area of about and has 90 buildings comprising over of office, warehouse, lab and special use space... |
Denver, CO |
| 9 | Pacific Rim | 450 Golden Gate Avenue | San Francisco, CA |
| 10 | Northwest/Arctic | 400 15th St. SW | Auburn, WA |
| 11 | National Capital | 301 7th St. SW | Washington, DC |
Controversy
- On June 20, 2006, former GSA Chief of Staff David SafavianDavid SafavianDavid Hossein Safavian is a former chief of staff of the United States General Services Administration and a figure in the Jack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal....
was found guilty by a jury in federal court on four of five felony charges. The charges were related to some of his work at the GSA as part of the Jack Abramoff lobbying and corruption scandal. He was found guilty of lying to the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, lying to a GSA ethics official, lying to the GSA's Office of Inspector General, and obstructing the work of the GSA inspector general. Safavian was cleared of obstructing the committee's investigation. On October 27, 2006, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison.
- On December 2006, former GSA Administrator Lurita DoanLurita DoanLurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
proposed cutting the budget of GSA’s Office of the Inspector General for reviewing government contracts for fraudPolitical corruptionPolitical corruption is the use of legislated powers by government officials for illegitimate private gain. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality, is not considered political corruption. Neither are illegal acts by...
and waste (previous IG audits have allowed the agency to recover billions of dollars of fraudulent contracts). Doan has criticized GSA Inspector General Brian D. Miller for not supporting her effort to implement simpler procedures for contractors. Some IG budget officials, however, viewed IG "streamlining efforts" as problematic. John C. Lebo, formerly with the GSA IG staff, described the changes as troubling and unprecedented. "The Administrator's Office wants to change the IG's overall approach from independently rooting out crime, fraud and abuse, to one in which the OIG is a team player working with GSA."
- GSA was involved in White House efforts to politicize non-partisan government agencies. Former GSA Administrator Lurita DoanLurita DoanLurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
attended GSA meetings involving presentation slides which mentioned GOP strategies and tactics for the 2008 Federal Elections (Government agencies are prohibited from engaging in political activities by the Hatch ActHatch Act of 1939The Hatch Act of 1939 is a United States federal law whose main provision is to prohibit federal employees in the executive branch of the federal government, except the President and the Vice President, from engaging in partisan political activity...
). An independent investigation by the United States Office of Special CounselUnited States Office of Special CounselThe United States Office of Special Counsel is a permanent independent federal investigative and prosecutorial agency whose basic legislative authority comes from three federal statutes, the Civil Service Reform Act, the Whistleblower Protection Act and the Hatch Act...
concluded that Lurita DoanLurita DoanLurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
had conducted "the most pernicious of political activity" and recommended that she "be disciplined to the fullest extent for her serious violation of the Hatch Act and insensitivity to cooperating fully and honestly in the course of our investigation" -- it recommended to President Bush that she be removed from office. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearings chaired by Rep. Henry WaxmanHenry WaxmanHenry Arnold Waxman is the U.S. Representative for , serving in Congress since 1975. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress...
(D-CA) also investigated former GSA head, Lurita DoanLurita DoanLurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
, regarding those meetings and presentations by GSA officials. Doan testified that she had no knowledge of the origin of the presentation slides and she had no memory of what she said. Although Republican committee members denounced the investigation as a "witch hunt" intending to smear the Bush administration and the GSA with the appearance of wrongdoing, nevertheless, Democrat Chairman Waxman urged Lurita DoanLurita DoanLurita Alexis Doan , is an African American, conservative commentator on Federal News Radio 1500AM in Washington, DC, and the host of the weekly opinion editorial, Leadership Matters. Doan was formerly the Administrator of the United States General Services Administration from May 31, 2006, to...
to resign. Lurita Doan resigned on April 29, 2008 at the request of the White House.
Environmental record
As the government’s premier procurementProcurement
Procurement is the acquisition of goods or services. It is favourable that the goods/services are appropriate and that they are procured at the best possible cost to meet the needs of the purchaser in terms of quality and quantity, time, and location...
agency, GSA:
- Offers some 10,000 green (energy-efficient and eco-friendly) goods and services
- Makes eco-friendly procurement easier for federal agencies;
- Has for many years helped agencies with energy-efficientEfficient energy useEfficient energy use, sometimes simply called energy efficiency, is the goal of efforts to reduce the amount of energy required to provide products and services. For example, insulating a home allows a building to use less heating and cooling energy to achieve and maintain a comfortable temperature...
, cost-effective recycling programs; - Has developed 14 telework centers;
- Encourages workers to plant trees and to recycle at home.
GSA complies with Executive Order 13423, Strengthening Federal Environmental, Energy, and Transportation Management.
Federal Buildings
Public Buildings Service provides workplaces for federal customer agencies and United States courthouses at good economies to the American taxpayer.PBS is funded primarily through the Federal Buildings Fund, which is supported by rent from federal customer agencies.
GSA has earned a LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design consists of a suite of rating systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods....
rating for 24 buildings.
Some of green offerings at new buildings includes green roof
Green roof
A green roof is a roof of a building that is partially or completely covered with vegetation and a growing medium, planted over a waterproofing membrane. It may also include additional layers such as a root barrier and drainage and irrigation systems...
s (planted roofs that can substantially reduce rainwater run-off during storms and provide significant insulation for the buildings), underfloor air distribution
Underfloor air distribution
Underfloor air distribution is an air distribution strategy for providing ventilation and space conditioning in buildings as part of the design of an HVAC system...
(that delivers cooling and heating air at floor level instead of from the ceiling), purchasing and using renewable power from utility companies and light shelves (located outside of the building that reduce the amount of heat radiating into the building from the sun while increasing the amount of natural light and high ceilings that help direct daylight deep into the work environment).
The Department of Energy's
United States Department of Energy
The United States Department of Energy is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government concerned with the United States' policies regarding energy and safety in handling nuclear material...
Federal Energy Management Program
Federal Energy Management Program
The USA Federal Energy Management Program promotes energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy resources at federal sites, helping agencies save energy, save taxpayer dollars, and demonstrate leadership with responsible, cleaner energy choices, because as the largest energy consumer in the...
facilitates to the GSA the implementation, through project transaction services, applied technology services and decision support services, to deploy renewable energy technologies and cultivate change to embrace energy efficiency.
In 2004 the GSA was presented with the Honor Award
Honor Award
The National Building Museum promotes excellence in architecture, engineering, construction, planning, and design. In furtherance of that mission, the Museum instituted an annual Honor Award in 1986 to recognize individuals and organizations that have made important contributions to the U.S.'s...
from the National Building Museum
National Building Museum
The National Builders Museum, in Washington, D.C., United States, is a museum of "architecture, design, engineering, construction, and urban planning"...
for "success in creating and maintaining innovative environments for the federal community as well as providing a positive federal presence for the public."
Office of High-Performance Green Buildings
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
has made available not less than $4.5 billion for measures necessary to convert GSA facilities to High-Performance Green Buildings, as defined in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007
The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 is an Act of Congress concerning the energy policy of the United States...
(Public Law 110-140).
Asset Management Policy
In accordance with Title 40 of the U.S. Code, GSA is charged with the responsibility of promulgating regulations governing the acquisition, use, and disposal of real property (real estate and land) and personal property (essentially all other property). This activity is centered in GSA's Office of Governmentwide Policy. Policies promulgated by GSA are developed in collaboration with federal agencies, and are typically published for public comment in the Federal Register prior to publication as a Final Rule.Federal vehicle fleet management
In the United States, Federal Vehicle fleets refers to vehicles of federal governmentFederal government of the United States
The federal government of the United States is the national government of the constitutional republic of fifty states that is the United States of America. The federal government comprises three distinct branches of government: a legislative, an executive and a judiciary. These branches and...
.
GSA contributes to the management of U.S. Federal property, including a 210,000 vehicle motor pool.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, abbreviated ARRA and commonly referred to as the Stimulus or The Recovery Act, is an economic stimulus package enacted by the 111th United States Congress in February 2009 and signed into law on February 17, 2009, by President Barack Obama.To...
included $300 million to acquire energy-efficient motor vehicles for the federal vehicle fleet.
President Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
announced that GSA will buy about 17,600 new, fuel-efficient vehicles from U.S. auto companies by June 1, 2009. The purchase will draw on funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will be on an accelerated schedule to help support U.S. automakers. The GSA will spend $285 million to purchase the vehicles from General Motors Corporation, Chrysler LLC, and Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. The purchase will include 2,500 hybrid sedans
Hybrid electric vehicle
A hybrid electric vehicle is a type of hybrid vehicle and electric vehicle which combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. The presence of the electric powertrain is intended to achieve either better fuel economy than a conventional...
—the largest one-time purchase yet of hybrid vehicles for the federal government—and each new vehicle will yield at least a 10% fuel economy improvement over the vehicle it replaces. The GSA will also spend $15 million by the end of September to purchase a pilot fleet of advanced-technology vehicles, including all-electric vehicles and hybrid buses
Hybrid electric bus
A hybrid electric bus combines a conventional internal combustion engine propulsion system with an electric propulsion system. These type of buses normally use a diesel-electric powertrain and are also known as hybrid diesel-electric buses....
.
Hybrids accounted for about 10 percent of the 145,473 vehicles the U.S. General Services Administration bought during the fiscal years 2009 and 2010, after making up less than 1 percent of government vehicle purchases in 2008. As for specific models, Obama took a buy-American stance. The administration accounted for about two-thirds of the Chevrolet Malibu Hybrids sold during the past two years, and almost a third of the Ford Fusion Hybrid
Ford Fusion Hybrid
The Ford Fusion Hybrid is a gasoline-electric hybrid powered version of the mid-size Ford Fusion sedan developed by the Ford Motor Company, and launched to the U.S. market in March 2009 as a 2010 model, together with its twin the Mercury Milan Hybrid. The Fusion Hybrid is manufactured at Ford's...
s. By comparison, the administration acquired 17 Toyota Prius
Toyota Prius
The Toyota Prius is a full hybrid electric mid-size hatchback, formerly a compact sedan developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation...
hybrids and five Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda Civic Hybrid
The Civic hybrid, based on the seventh generation Civic, was first introduced to the Japanese market in December 2001. Honda claimed it was the most fuel efficient 5-passenger gasoline-powered production vehicle in the world at the time. It was introduced to the U.S. in spring 2002 as a 2003 model...
vehicles in total. Ground Force One
Ground Force One
Ground Force One is the code-name for the black armored buses used to transport the President of the United States and other dignitaries. The two modified Prevost coaches were purchased by the United States Secret Service from Hemphill Brothers Coach Company of Tennessee for US$1.1 million each in...
, so designated when transporting the POTUS, is one of two armored buses procured in 2010 for the transportation of dignitaries under protection of the Secret Service
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
, at a cost of $1.1 million each. The coaches were assembled in Tennessee on frames made in Canada.
Interagency Resources Management Conference
The Interagency Resources Management Conference (IRMCO) is the General Services Administration’s (GSA) leading federal executive conference, hosting over 300 federal and industry leaders each year. The 50-year-old conference features expert-led sessions focused on relevant, high-impact issues.IRMCO 2011 features "50 Years of Performance Leadership" and is held in Washington, D.C. at the Kellogg Conference Center & Hotel on the campus of Gallaudet University. IRMCO 2011 will have a tripartite focus:
- Sustainability Business Case & Data Center Consolidation
- Performance Management
- Acquisition Management and Workforce Training
IRMCO began in 1961 as the ADPCO conference. In 1979, the Department of Commerce, GSA and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) jointly sponsored a conference for Senior Executive Service (SES) officials at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. At the same time, the National Archives hosted a small records management conference for senior executives, also located in Gettysburg. These two conferences merged with ADPCO and became IRMCO. Over the years, the conference has evolved its focus from highly specialized to integrated. In 1996, when U.S. Congress mandated the role of Chief Information Officer (CIO), these new federal executives were invited to attend IRMCO.
In recent years, roughly 75% of IRMCO attendees were GS-15s or members of the Senior Executive Service. From 2008 to 2010, IRMCO drew attendees from over 65 Federal agencies, and diverse disciplines including information technology, human resources, acquisition, management and finance.
External links
- Mileage Reimbursement.
- Description of a GSA Schedule and how it is used to sell to the federal government.
- GSA sustainable design.
- Interagency Resources Management Conference (IRMCO)
- Description of how a firm can obtain a GSA Schedule contract.
- Federal Real Property Association (FRPA)
- American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Official Site
- VA and GSA Schedule Solicitations
- Real-world examples of GSA Schedule issues and uses